Podroom

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a unique system that brings together the podcast community. This idea was born out of the lack of an avenue for podcasters to get feedback or comments from their listeners. The existing technology requires listeners to send an email to podcasters email addresses or use hashtags while providing feedback. Podroom provides an idle solution for podcast listeners to interact with podcasters and exchange their thoughts and ideas. Podroom consists of technological solutions that create an avenue for listeners to provide feedback to podcasters. These solutions include websites, web applications, mobile applications and algorithms that connect people listening to podcasts around the world. The mobile application creates a forum where podcast listeners can listen and comment on podcast episodes. Listeners can interact with each other, podcasters and featured guests on the applications. Users and podcasters can also attach media files to comments and podcasts respectively.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/784,560, EFS ID 34684945, and confirmation number 1193 filed on Dec.23, 2018. The entire disclosure is included herein in its entirety at least by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains generally to technology and more particularly to podcasts and live TV technologies. The present invention enhances pre-existing concepts in the podcast streaming technology by incorporating a unique system for the development of a podcast community, centralizing conversations, and providing a real time community to listeners as well as a functioning feedback system for podcasters.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

Podcast: Episodic series of digital audio or video files which a user can download and listen to.

Podcasters: A person that makes and publishes podcasts

Listeners: People who subscribe, download and listen to podcasts

Users: People who use podcast applications

Podcast streaming applications: Special client application software that accesses the web feeds, check for updates and downloads new files in a podcast series.

Chatroom: Group of people providing feedback and comments about a podcast episode

There is a variety of podcast streaming applications which are commonly used for accessing and listening to episodes of podcasts. Users of these application can subscribe to different podcasts while using these applications. These applications notify users when a new episode which the user has subscribed to has been released. Examples of this kind of streaming applications are Apple podcast, Google podcast and Spotify.

While these applications may be suitable for providing listeners with podcast episodes, they are ineffective for managing the feedback or comments users may have while or after listening to these episodes. Another problem with these existing systems is that they are unable to provide a centralized community where podcasters can consult in order to access feedback for every episode.

For instance, a user called John, who lives in Manhattan, listens to a podcast called “Why is this happening” by Chris Hayes. To make a comment or send feedback: he has to go out of these existing podcast applications to send emails to Chris Hayes' podcast team or use Twitter with the hashtag of that episode. He doesn't get responses to his feedback because either he used a wrong hashtag or the podcasters missed his email. Furthermore, John wishes to interact with other listeners of the same podcast show to share ideas and create a community but there is no forum that currently provides these services.

Another feature which appears to be missing in prior podcast applications is the ability to attach media files. This feature is necessary for podcast listeners to attach links, pictures, audio files and other media files to their comments. Podcasters can also broadcast media files to listeners using this feature.

Accordingly, there is a need for a centralized podcast community that connects people listening to the same shows from around the world.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to provide improved technological solutions to the lack of a centralized podcast community and effective feedback system.

It is another object of the present invention to provide improved technological solutions that connect people who listen to the same shows from around the world.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide improved technological solutions that involve mechanisms or algorithms that group people from all works of life who are listening to a podcast episode at the same time together to chat, interact and have a live experience.

It is another object of the present invention to provide improved technological solutions that involves mechanisms or algorithms that groups users listening to a particular podcast together in real time and presents the most current forum to them so that discussion rooms will be kept up to date and the chat experience will be current and lively for users.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved podcast streaming application that allows users to subscribe to podcasts, stream podcast episodes, connect with listeners real time, connect with podcasters, connect with podcast featured guests, have a live experience and attach media files to the forum.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved podcast streaming application that allows podcasters to manage their podcasts and corresponding episodes, claim podcasts, respond to listeners, open chatrooms, close chatrooms, attach media files including image, audio, and video to podcast episodes, and promote adverts.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved podcast streaming application that eliminates the need for users to go out of the podcast environment to make comments and feedback about their points of view.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an algorithm that detects episodes having the trending or popular chatrooms and recommends these chatrooms to users.

It is another object of the present invention to provide technological solutions that provides podcasters with analytics about their podcasts, when and where episodes are being listened to, the number of people listening at any point in time, the number of people interacting on each episodes of their podcasts and the rate at which users respond to the adverts in their episodes.

Finally, it is another object of the present invention to provide improved technological solutions that serve as sources of data to discern the opinions of the public. This can be done through surveys on the platform of the present invention.

These and other objects known to the inventor are achieved with the present inventions by providing technological solutions that consists of web, mobile applications and algorithms. The mobile applications, designed for all mobile operating systems including IOS and android, has the ability to stream podcasts, download podcasts, synchronized user podcast subscriptions from existing podcast streaming applications, authenticate users, as well as allow users to listen to and comment on podcast episodes.

In furtherance of the objectives of the present invention, the mobile application enables podcasters to upload video podcasts or podcasts with visuals. Users can also watch these video podcasts and make comments on them.

Finally, the present invention features a web application or website where podcasters can manage their podcasts, view advert clicks and ultimately receive analytics about their podcast episodes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the welcome page of the said mobile application. Users can sign up with their email address and password.

FIG. 2 shows the sign-up page where user creates a profile in order to access the mobile application. Users can also create an account with Gmail, Facebook or Twitter authentication.

FIG. 3 shows the login page for users who have already created a profile.

FIG. 4 shows the landing page users see after they have successfully logged in.

FIG. 5 shows the Browse page where users can view podcasts available to them by category.

FIG. 6 shows a podcast and the first few episodes of the podcast. It also features a live icon which indicates that the chatroom for an episode is opened.

FIG. 7 shows a podcast episode being played with chat forum by listeners. Listeners can also attach media files while responding to the podcast.

FIG. 8 shows a podcast episode being played with user comments as well as reactions.

FIG. 9 shows a podcast episode being played with few of other episodes in the podcasts shown.

FIG. 10 shows a podcast episode being played with similar podcast or episodes shown.

FIG. 11 shows the user's library. It enables users subscribe to podcasts and show a list of podcasts users have subscribed to. Here, users can also upload or download podcasts.

FIG. 12 shows library search page where users can search for podcasts and subscribe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1-12 gives a brief visual representation of the said mobile application. FIG. 1 shows the welcome page. On click of sign up, users are presented with the view in FIG. 2. Users can create a profile using the view in FIG. 2. Users can login using the view in FIG. 3. After users have successfully logged in, they are presented the view in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows recommendation of podcasts with popular chatrooms as well as trending podcasts. These recommendations are engendered using said algorithms. Users can choose to click on recommended podcast and listen, chat, interact and enjoy all the features of the application. When users click on the “Browse” tab as shown in FIG. 4, they are redirected to the view in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows podcasts available to users, grouped by categories. If users decide to select a podcast, they see the view in FIG. 6, a list of episodes in the selected podcast. On click of an episode, users can listen to the episode and comment as described in FIG. 7. Users can also show reactions to other users' comments as shown in FIG. 8. Users can choose to view other episodes in the podcast as shown in FIG. 9 and see similar episodes or podcasts as shown in FIG. 10. Podcasts which users are subscribed to are found in Library as shown in FIG. 11. Users can upload and download podcasts using this page. Users can search for podcasts as shown in FIG. 12. 

I claim:
 1. Technological solutions comprising of: a mobile application for podcast streaming and chatting, said mobile application having chat capability, chatrooms and feedback systems which creates a centralized podcast community; a mobile application for chatting about podcast episodes, said mobile application having chatrooms and feedback systems which creates a centralized podcast community; a website or web application that enables said podcasters to manage podcasts and observe analytics from chatrooms of each their podcasts; algorithms that connect listeners in the said manner
 2. Technological solutions as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile application functions as a podcast streaming application that enables users to subscribe to podcasts, stream podcast episodes, connect and interact with listeners, podcasters, and podcast featured guests, have a live experience and attach media files to the forum.
 3. Technological solutions as recited in claim 1, wherein said algorithms connect people who listen to the same shows from around the world.
 4. Technological solutions as recited in claim 1, wherein said algorithms group people from all works of life who are listening to a podcast episode at the same time together to chat, interact and have a live experience on the said mobile application.
 5. Technological solutions as recited in claim 1, wherein said algorithms select episodes having the trending or popular chatrooms and recommends these chatrooms to users to join.
 6. Technological solutions as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile application enables podcasters to manage their podcasts and corresponding episodes, claim podcasts, respond to listeners, open chatrooms, close chatrooms, attach media files including image, audio, and video to podcast episodes, and promote adverts.
 7. Technological solutions as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile application enables podcasters to upload video podcasts or podcasts with visuals; users can also watch these video podcasts and make comments on them.
 8. Technological solutions as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile application eliminates the need for users to go out of the podcast environment to make comments and feedback about their points of view.
 9. Technological solutions as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile application is a centralized source of listener feedback for podcasters.
 10. Technological solutions as recited in claim 1, wherein said technological solutions serve as sources of data to discern the opinions of the public podcast community; this can be done through surveys on the said technological solutions.
 11. Technological solutions as recited in claim 1, wherein said website or web application provide podcasters with analytics about their podcasts, when and where episodes are being listened to, the number of people chatting and interacting on each episodes of their podcasts and the rate at which users respond to the adverts in their episodes.
 12. Other novel features (as at the time of the patent) in the specification document are our claim. 